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Apple’s iPhone 4 Rollout Not as Smooth as Usual

Apple is a company known for precise image control and a very specific corporate identity, but the launch of the iPhone 4 has been very different from its usual smooth product releases.

The iPhone 4 is the latest and most successful of all models of the mobile phone and touch-screen computer, selling close to 2 million in the first three days of availability: iPhone 4 Sales Top 1.7 Million – Apple PR

But I’m sure heads have rolled at Apple and the corporate brass have made a blood pact to never do this badly again with a product.

The problems began before the launch. A few months before the release, a prototype of the iPhone 4 was left in a bar one night by one of the developers. It was found and sold to a tech blog as a news scoop, and that disrupted Apple’s planned secrecy until launch.

The lead-up to the launch also had rumors that customers would be able to get an iPhone 4 without the required (and restrictive and expensive) AT&T contract. But that didn’t pan out, and in mid-July, an antitrust lawsuit over that exclusive contract gained class-action status: IPhone antitrust lawsuit goes class action – Jul. 12, 2010

But the biggest iPhone issue is signal reception strength and quality. That was a problem for the last model, but for version 4, it got more negative press, and faster. There’s already at least one class action lawsuit over reception quality.

Different blogs said to get one of the Lance Armstrong “Live Strong”-style 99-cent bracelets and stretch it around the outer edge to insulate the antenna from hand contact. Cut some slots for the charger, and you’ve instantly got better reception.

Then Apple uncharacteristically admitted there is something wrong with iPhone reception. Or not. Sort of.

In a news conference on July 16, Jobs said the antenna issue “has been blown so out of proportion that it’s incredible.”

But Apple relented and will give a free carrying case or, if requested, a refund to all iPhone users over the next few months. However, Apple didn’t clearly admit there was a reception problem, or issue a recall for iPhones, as many think is needed: 7/02/10: Letter from Apple Regarding iPhone 4 – Apple PR

One tech writer came up with a possible reason for Apple’s goof: the cleanliness of the research and development facility. Apple’s testers probably always wore gloves when working with prototypes, so the skin effect wasn’t known. And when the prototypes went out into the real world, they may have been tested only in areas with strong reception.